Washing-machine



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

R. L. GORE.

WASHING MACHINE.

No. 435,092. Patented Aug. 26, 1890.

l qli 4 10mm R (No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

R. L. GORE.

WASHING MAOHINE.

No, 435,092. Patented Aug. 26, 1890..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL L. GORE, OF CARLISLE, KENTUCKY.

MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 435,092, dated August26, 1890.

Application filed Apri1l9, 1890. Serial No. B l-8,646. (No model.) i

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RUSSELL L. GORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Carlisle, in the county of Nichols and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in WVashing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in washing-machines, and more particularly to that class in which steam is largely employed as the cleansing agent, the object being to so construct the machine that steam may be generated and fed to the drum containing the clothing with the expenditure of a comparatively small amount of heat and fuel.

A further object is to so construct a washing-machine that steam may be admitted into the compartment containing'clothing or other articles to be cleansed at different points and in such manner that said articles will be agitated.

A further object is to construct the machine in such a manner that water may be discharged therefrom and a fresh supply admitted therein without the necessity of removing the articles being washed or even opening the machine.

A further object is to improve the general construction of washing-machines of the class above specified.

XVith these objects in View the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts, as hereinafter set forth, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved washing-machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional View. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view. Fig. 4

is a separate view of the rotary drum. Fig. 5 is a detail View.

A indicates a tank or reservoir comprising two chambers CL 1), the inner walls of which are curved, as shown in Fig. 1, each chamber a I) thus having a large bottom for the reception of water, and a contracted upper end a b for the reception of steam generated when the water is heated. The compartments a b are made to communicate at their base by means of a connecting-pipe If. 'A cover B will be placed on the tank or reservoir A, when the parts shall have been assembled in the manner hereinafter to be described, and thus the entire operating mechanism of the apparatus will be in closed, said cover having flanges 1 adapted'to rest on the tank, and flanges 2 adapted to enter said tank between the compartments (1 b; ater will be introduced into the compartments of the reservoir at an inlet 6 which inlet is provided with a screw-cap b Located in the tank A, between the chambers a Z), is a rotary drum 0. To one face of this drum a series of arms 0 is secured, which carry at their extremities a pintle cl, which latter has bearings in the side wall which connect the two compartments a b of the tank A.

The drum 0 is made in two parts e e to facilitate the insertion of articles tobe washed, which parts are hinged together, as most clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2. faces of the part 6' two perforated springplates 6 are secured, and are adapted when the drum is closed to engage pins 6 on the part c, and thus lock said parts e 6 together.

At suitable points in the peripheral wall of thedrum O are openings f, covered with wiregauze, short bars, or similar material to prevent articles in the drum from falling through said opening, and in the cover of the apparatus is an opening f with which the openingsf are adapted to align one at atime. Surrounding the opening f is a hopperorfunnel f Thus it will be seen that when it is desired to admit water into the drum it is sim- .ply necessary to rotate the same until the openings ff are in alignment.

The space 12 between the compartments a b of the tank or reservoir is provided with an outle'tcock g, so that when it is desired to discharge the water from the drum it is simply necessary to rotate the drum until the opening is centrally within the space If and open the cock g, when the water will flow from the drum 0 into the space or chamber If and On opposite thence out through cock g. By this means water may be discharged from the drum and fresh water admitted thereto without the necessity of opening the machine.

Pivoted or hinged on the top of the cover B of the apparatus, within the funnelf is a valve 3, adapted to normally cover the opening f and be maintained in this position by its own weight. By this means, when the pressureof the steam in the apparatus becomes too great the surplus steam will be allowed to escape, and thus prevent water being forced out by the steam over the edges of the apparatus onto the stove.

The peripheral wall of the drum O is provided near the outer wall thereof with a series of perforations h, which produce, in effect, a series of steam-inlet ports, as will presently appear.

At or near the upper end of the chamber a. of the reservoir is a steam-outlet i, said outlet consisting of a short section of screwthreaded pipe 2', having its free end provided with a disk 2' inwhich a perforation 11 is made out of line with the longitudinal axis of the pipe, and an interiorly-screw-threaded cap i having a perforation i adapted to align with the perforation i when said cap is screwed partly on the pipe. This outlet'iis so located relatively to the perforations h of the drum that steam will be discharged through said perforations, the amount of steam thus discharged being regulated by the screw-cape.

Projecting from and communicating with the chamber 1) at a point diametrically opposite the outlett' is a short section of pipe 3, having one or more openings j adapted to align with the perforations h in the periphery of the drum. On this pipe is located a slide-valve 7' adapted to cover (more or less) the openings j, and thus regulate the inflow of steam into the drum from the short pipe j.

The face of the drum farthest from the perforations h is provided at its center with an opening 70. Located within this Opening, a short distance within the drum, is a disk I, said disk being supported at one end of a series of arms m, the other ends of said arms projecting through the opening and secured to the face of the drum. Projecting from the center of the disk I is a pintle or journal at, which has its bearing in the side wall of the apparatus opposite to that in which the pintle (Z is mounted.

Connected to and communicating with the compartment a, at the end thereof opposite the valve-outlet t', is a pipe 0, which extends to the opening it in the face of the drum. The free end of the pipe 0 is bent to produce an arm or short section of pipe 0', which projects through the opening it and is provided at a point between its ends with an opening or jet 0 through which steam is adapted to be discharged between the diskl and the wall of the drum. It will be seen that by opening the valve its full extent the force of the steam through the jet 0 will be diminished and that the force of steam from the other jets may be readily regulated by their valves. Thus it will be seen that when steam is admitted to the drum 0 through the peripheral openings h and opening 70 the sprays of steam from these two sources will act upon the clothes in the drum, and thus the articles being washed will be kept in a constant state of agitation directly by the action: of the steam. When the full force of the machine is desired, the valve 1' and one opening j in the pipe j will be closed, thus causing the full force of the steam to flow through the otherjet j of pipe and thejet 0 of pipe 0. The drum may be readily removed when it is desired to clean it or for other reason.

By means of a washing-machine constructed and arranged as above described the heat from a large part'of the surface of the drum is impartedto the water in the tank and the heat from the tank is likewise imparted to the drum, thus ecomizing heat and fuel.

The machine is simple in construction, easy to manufacture, and effective in operation.

Slight changes might be made in the constructivc details of my invention without de- I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a washing-machine, the combination, with a reservoir and a revoluble drum having an axial opening in one head, of arms extending into the said opening, a disk connecting theinner ends of said arms, the disk having a trunnion projecting outwardly therefrom, and a steam-pipe arranged to discharge within the axial opening, substantially as set forth.

2. The co1nbination,withareservoir,adrum revolubly supported, said drum having openings in its periphery, and a steam-outlet in line with the openings in the drum adapted to discharge into the openings in the periphery of the drum, of radial arms extending into an axial opening formed in one head of the drum, a disk connecting the inner ends of these arms, a trunnion projecting from said disk outwardly to form a bearing, anda steam-discharge pipe extending into the opening in the center of the drum-head, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with a reservoir,a drum revolubly supported, the latter having two sets of openings in its periphery, screens covering one set, and a cover on the reservoir having an "opening adapted to align with one set of openings in the drum, of a set of arms extending into an axial opening formed in one head of the drum, a disk secured to their inner ends, a trunnion projecting outwardly In testimony whereof I have signed this from the latter and adapted to receive a despecification in the presence of two subscribvice for rotating the drum, and a, steam or ing witnesses Water pipe leading from the reservoir and RUSSELL L. GORE. 5 discharging into the drum atapoint between \Vitnesses:

the disk and the adjacent head of the drum, H. M. TAYLOR,

substantially as set forth. 0; M. HOWE. 

